Central Washington University Expulsion Process

At CWU, the decision on whether to expel a student is made by the student conduct council. This council consists of 6 faculty members and 8 students, one of whom is a graduate student. The council is presided over by the chair who is elected at the beginning of each hearing.

The chair also issues the written decision. Not all members participate in each hearing. Rather a quorum of the members consists of two of the faculty members and three student members. The vice president of CWU provides an advisor to convene the council and to provide advice.

Penalties Imposed at CWU

The council has the power to suspend or expel a student from Central Washington University. A suspension is for a set period of time. The university also has the power to impose a deferred suspension whereby the suspension is hanging over a person's head on the condition that the student follow strict conditions.

Unlike other Washington colleges, CWU allows a student to petition for early reinstatement by submitting a petition for readmission to the vice-president. An expulsion from school is a permanent dismissal from the university, and is the most drastic consequence a student can face.

Misconduct Leading to Suspension / Expulsion

Charges that lead to suspensions or school expulsions at CWU include furnishing alcohol to minors, the dealing of drugs, firearm & weapons offense, assault, hazing, rape and sexual misconduct, domestic violence, theft etc. In recent years, schools in this state have increased the number of expulsions based on domestic violence and sexual assault. The federal office of Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights have encouraged colleges to take further steps to protect women on campus so as to comply with Title IX of the Civil Rights Act. Schools have also recently increased disciplinary actions against students that posses or use marijuana on campus. Since the decriminalization of marijuana possession (for those over 21), schools have feared an increase in drug use and have sought to draw a line in the sand over marijuana use.

Expulsion and Criminal Charges

A school is free to bring a disciplinary action for sexual assault even if the Kittitas County prosecuting attorney brings no criminal charges. An additional thing to remember is that in the context of a school disciplinary hearing, the school need not prove the case to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. Rather, the school must prove misconduct merely by a preponderance of the evidence, or that it is more likely than not that the misconduct occurred. In the majority of expulsion cases that our firm handles, there are no criminal charges.

Defense Lawyer for Students

It is important to find an attorney as soon as possible when a disciplinary action is brought. Many times, students make the mistake of not telling their parents right away when the school brings misconduct charges. A student's chances of being about to stay in school increase if the student seeks help prior to the disciplinary hearing.